Apartments to replace Montrose Fiesta

Real estate developer Marvy Finger, who was rumored to be buying the Fiesta shopping center in Montrose for a new apartment complex, said he will close on the property next month.

The timing for the new development is still being determined, but Finger has plans to build 390 multifamily units in as many as 8 stories at the site. The nearly 4-acre property is located at the southeast corner of Dunlavy and West Alabama, across from a new H-E-B.

65 Responses

Oh dear, this is going to be another “Stop Ashby Highrise” campaign. The idle rich want capitalism, free enterprise, et al, except when they don’t want it in their neighborhood. I say bring on Ashby Highrise. Double the height. And make this new apartment have 1200 units instead of 390.

Dipsy… There was a condemned apartment complex across from Fiesta until it was demolished and replaced by HEB. I don’t think the apartments across W Alabama have been condemned. Pretty sure (non-derelict) people live there.

I’m not one of those NIMBYs in sheep’s clothing – pretending like they are only opposed because of traffic issues – but I do wonder why there aren’t more proposals for apartment buildings in Midtown and East of Downtown (EaDo).

The wide streets, complete street grid, and utilities are there already. Plus, there are new grocery stores opening, new brewpubs, etc. They will even be expanding the convention center and adding shops in EaDo. I just wonder why this hasn’t happened yet.

EaDo is not a real place, it was made up by real estate agents to jack up the price of hovels near the new soccer stadium. It’s the same concept as Rice Military, no one who lives there actually calls it that.

I lived in that area until 1994. Fiesta was a better store than Appletree.
The aree is already congested with traffic and noise. It does NOT need upscale apts. It will get done, but at what cost?
Glad I had the chance to be there 87-94. Today it would not be affordable or much fun to be there anymore.

So a new midrise apartment complex in the inner city. The rent will be $2000.00 per month on a 700 square foot apt.

Nothing stays the same. Total commercialism and no regard for preserving the past, or heritage.

Houston within 10 years will be one of the most expensive citys in the U.S. to live, because we allow developers to pay off politicians and change our communities leaving nothing we can feel connected to.

The old apartments across the street from Fiesta should have been preserved and the old Magnolia Trees and Mature Oak Trees should have been preserved but instead were cut down to pave a parking lot. Only for the community to pay higher food prices to pay for all the new devolopment and progress.

Please stop whining about these upscale developments and allow Houston to become the next Austin, where yuppies can feel safe from underachieving homeless people as they sip their craft beers and eat $12 organically grown burgers.

I live around the corner on Colquitt and I love the new HEB. It’s cheaper than Fiesta, at least for the things I buy, and the selection is way better. The only thing I’ll really miss about Fiesta is the great music they play.

What the Chronicle fails to mention is that there are several other small, independent businesses located in that Fiesta complex which are going to be forced to either relocate or go out of business. It’s not just Fiesta that is going away.

There’s a pretty substantive difference between those two projects, I’m not sure why people are comparing them. Sorry to see the Fiesta go, a quirky little place with unusual selections and cheap booze but it caught an incurable disease the day they starting building the HEB. Change is the only constant in the inner city, no real reason to complain about this one that I can see.

For people who live in the fourth LARGEST city in the nation, people sure do complain a lot about new development. If you don’t like development, or seeing a city and it’s neighborhoods evolve, move to the country and tend to your farms!

Honestly the new HEB there is pretty fantastic. The architecture is beautiful, and they kept most of the mature trees and planted a bunch of new ones. The only problem about this news is that Mediterranean style does not fit the neighborhood. Montrose is all about hipsters and yuppies, it’s not a faux stucco canyon.

I “devolved” into the suburbs and I’ve never been happier. The moment I realized that rent on my 900 sq. ft. apt. was not far off from mortgage on a 2200 sq. ft. house in the ‘burbs, I immediately called my real estate friend. Lol if you think you’re better than me.

This would be a catastrophe, and it’s not about NIMBY. Apartments would be just fine on this site if the buildings were at an appropriate scale for the neighborhood and designed by an architect whose prior work has shown sensitivity to context, thoughtful detailing, and a command of proportion. It is even possible to do something vaguely Mediterranean — look at the amazing Isabella Court apartment building in midtown. It is urbane and beautiful inside and out and a gift to its surroundings. The Menil Collection, which is a half a block to the east of this site, would have a clear view to this proposed 8-story 400-unit monolith. This alone will hopefully be a lightning rod to spirited public debate and give the developer pause before throwing up his usual random Post-Oaky thing. This is a moment to be visionary: reduce the program to 200 units and hire an architect up to the task of making a special place — you will probably even make more money!!

LMAO. 390 multi-family units. Welcome to the neighborhood. Could not happen to a nicer bunch. That used to be a nice part of town, but is an area to avoid now. “If you build it they will come…” the Houston motto. This town has become a third-world cesspool of cretins. We will pave over everything from Houston west to Austin and San Antonio, and north to Dallas and then let a waves of subhumans invade us from north of the Red River and south of the Rio Grande because the politicians and developers want to “grow the tax base” – which is really a code phrase for the ponzi scheme they run which keeps them rich, fat and happy while future generations are expected to pay it off. Which means even more people are needed. Soon we will be no different than Mexico City, or Tokyo, or Rio De Janero. Heck we are Texas – we always go big – let’s be the first city with 50 million citizens! (And they all can drive pickups)

And now the yuppies start complaining about all the new yuppies moving into their neighborhood. Give me a break… you are posting comments to a website, probably on your smart phone (iphone even), think about that for a second. Get over it. There is nothing wrong with having a good job that provides a nice income and wanting to live in a city with amenities. People don’t need to be so insecure about it.